EUKN - United Kingdom - Mixed communities: Success and sustainability

Mixed communities: Success and sustainability

Introduction

Report summarising the findings from seven research studies on mixed income communities, encompassing more than twenty case studies and drawing together conclusions to inform future policies towards the promotion of successful mixed communities.

Description

The report considers the policy background to mixed communities and types of mixed communities before drawing together key findings around the experience of developing and living in mixed income communities. The report looks at what is needed in order to achieve successful mixed income communities but notes that there are still several unanswered questions that warrant further investigation.

Background information

Through its Mixed Income Communities Programme, JRF have studied the experiences of a number of mixed income communities in order to learn more about them and about what ingredients help make neighbourhoods work.

Methodology

The report draws together findings from seven studies conducted under JRF's Mixed Income Communities Programme.

Conclusions

Mixed income communities studied were overwhelmingly judged successful; they were not characterised by the problems often linked with exclusively low-income areas.
Mixed tenure and mixed income were “non-issues” to residents – they saw their neighbours as “ordinary people”.
Mixed income communities can attract young families.
Developers engaged in mixing tenures had no major problems.
Planning tenure mix is only one part of the picture. As tenure alters in a community, so can the population of residents. The implications of this need to be thought through and other dimensions of mix also need to be considered.

Contact info

Joseph Rowntree Foundation
publications@jrf.org.uk

Publication date

Project finished

//2006

Researcher

Chris Holmes

Links

Visit the Joseph Rowntree Foundation website

Download the "Mixed communities" Report (PDF, Eng, 820 KB)

Document type

research

Themes

Urban Policy > Housing > Housing policy

Keywords

Social mix